Cash Flow Statement
Quarterly Data

The cash flow statement provides information about a company cash receipts and cash payments during an accounting period, showing how these cash flows link the ending cash balance to the beginning balance shown on the company balance sheet.

The cash flow statement consists of three parts: cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities, and cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities.

Abbott Laboratories, consolidated cash flow statement (quarterly data)

US$ in millions

3 months ended:	Mar 31, 2026	Dec 31, 2025	Sep 30, 2025	Jun 30, 2025	Mar 31, 2025	Dec 31, 2024	Sep 30, 2024	Jun 30, 2024	Mar 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2023	Sep 30, 2023	Jun 30, 2023	Mar 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Sep 30, 2022	Jun 30, 2022	Mar 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Sep 30, 2021	Jun 30, 2021	Mar 31, 2021
Net earnings	1,077)	1,776)	1,644)	1,779)	1,325)	9,229)	1,646)	1,302)	1,225)	1,594)	1,436)	1,375)	1,318)	1,033)	1,435)	2,018)	2,447)	1,989)	2,100)	1,189)	1,793)
Depreciation	381)	370)	371)	357)	336)	342)	331)	334)	333)	332)	328)	302)	315)	311)	317)	315)	311)	369)	327)	370)	425)
Amortization of intangible assets	422)	422)	420)	420)	420)	465)	470)	471)	472)	481)	496)	498)	491)	496)	498)	507)	512)	514)	520)	504)	509)
Share-based compensation	317)	113)	120)	142)	289)	111)	117)	141)	304)	114)	117)	132)	281)	115)	123)	142)	305)	106)	114)	132)	288)
Trade receivables	(42)	222)	(202)	(410)	(262)	(158)	(57)	(325)	(151)	68)	(461)	(196)	233)	341)	530)	(188)	(751)	(189)	(394)	35)	165)
Inventories	(420)	234)	213)	3)	(255)	235)	220)	(103)	(410)	295)	140)	(248)	(419)	(189)	(194)	(476)	(554)	15)	71)	(5)	(537)
Other, net	(420)	178)	221)	(244)	(436)	(7,356)	(22)	140)	(748)	154)	(179)	(660)	(1,076)	219)	71)	92)	(205)	263)	(37)	(97)	(6)
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash from operating activities	238)	1,539)	1,143)	268)	92)	(6,361)	1,059)	658)	(200)	1,444)	441)	(172)	(175)	1,293)	1,345)	392)	(382)	1,078)	601)	939)	844)
Net cash from operating activities	1,315)	3,315)	2,787)	2,047)	1,417)	2,868)	2,705)	1,960)	1,025)	3,038)	1,877)	1,203)	1,143)	2,326)	2,780)	2,410)	2,065)	3,067)	2,701)	2,128)	2,637)
Acquisitions of property and equipment	(399)	(689)	(496)	(502)	(484)	(720)	(556)	(533)	(398)	(755)	(560)	(507)	(380)	(610)	(467)	(379)	(321)	(614)	(461)	(413)	(397)
Acquisitions of businesses and technologies, net of cash acquired	(19,798)	(20)	(55)	(30)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	(51)	(826)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	(172)	—)	(15)
Proceeds from business dispositions	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	1)	—)	—)	—)	40)	—)	—)	—)	48)	—)	—)	86)	48)	—)
(Purchases) sales of other investment securities, net	(161)	(210)	90)	(52)	8)	(150)	(40)	77)	(28)	(71)	(38)	79)	(86)	(30)	(21)	59)	(41)	(69)	(108)	95)	(14)
Other	34)	6)	4)	2)	6)	4)	2)	2)	1)	2)	15)	1)	4)	8)	4)	8)	2)	12)	4)	6)	4)
Net cash used in investing activities	(20,324)	(913)	(457)	(582)	(470)	(866)	(594)	(453)	(425)	(824)	(634)	(1,213)	(462)	(632)	(484)	(264)	(360)	(671)	(651)	(264)	(422)
Net borrowings (repayments) of short-term debt and other	31)	(71)	8)	(16)	(36)	26)	44)	(43)	(127)	111)	(61)	13)	(42)	10)	24)	5)	8)	(197)	(27)	(4)	24)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	19,860)	2)	—)	2)	1)	1)	1)	221)	—)	1)	—)	1)	—)	—)	1)	6)	—)	4)	—)	—)	—)
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,416)	(1)	(501)	(1)	(1,001)	(640)	(2)	(18)	—)	(1,051)	(1,445)	(2)	—)	—)	(1)	(1)	(751)	(3)	(40)	(3)	(2)
Purchases of common shares	(180)	(302)	(305)	(6)	(280)	(315)	(751)	(3)	(226)	(259)	(2)	(426)	(540)	(685)	(798)	(5)	(2,307)	(974)	(579)	(471)	(275)
Proceeds from stock options exercised	116)	5)	69)	35)	287)	25)	92)	13)	134)	34)	56)	15)	62)	41)	57)	10)	59)	82)	70)	17)	86)
Dividends paid	(1,098)	(1,030)	(1,031)	(1,029)	(1,026)	(958)	(960)	(961)	(957)	(888)	(888)	(890)	(890)	(823)	(826)	(828)	(832)	(798)	(801)	(803)	(800)
Other	—)	—)	—)	(82)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)	—)
Net cash used in financing activities	17,313)	(1,397)	(1,760)	(1,097)	(2,055)	(1,861)	(1,576)	(791)	(1,176)	(2,052)	(2,340)	(1,289)	(1,410)	(1,457)	(1,543)	(813)	(3,823)	(1,886)	(1,377)	(1,264)	(967)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(23)	6)	(10)	51)	24)	(83)	36)	(13)	(36)	25)	(29)	(27)	8)	51)	(96)	(71)	(6)	(13)	(29)	4)	(32)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,719)	1,011)	560)	419)	(1,084)	58)	571)	703)	(612)	187)	(1,126)	(1,326)	(721)	288)	657)	1,262)	(2,124)	497)	644)	604)	1,216)

Operating cash flows exhibit a general pattern of stability, typically ranging between $1.1 billion and $3.3 billion per quarter. However, a significant divergence between net earnings and cash flow is observed in the quarter ending December 31, 2024, where net earnings spiked to $9.23 billion while net cash from operating activities reached $2.87 billion. This suggests the presence of a substantial non-cash gain or a one-time accounting adjustment that did not translate into immediate liquidity.

Operating Activity Trends: Net earnings generally fluctuated between $1 billion and $2.5 billion for most of the period, with a notable dip to $1.08 billion by March 31, 2026. Depreciation and amortization remained relatively constant, with depreciation hovering around $310 million to $380 million and amortization of intangible assets staying near $420 million to $520 million per quarter. Working capital adjustments, specifically inventories and trade receivables, showed cyclical volatility, often alternating between cash inflows and outflows.
Investment Strategy and Capital Expenditure: Capital expenditures for property and equipment demonstrated a gradual increase over time, rising from approximately $400 million per quarter in early 2021 to peaks of $755 million in late 2023. A transformative event occurred in the quarter ending March 31, 2026, marked by a massive acquisition of businesses and technologies totaling $19.8 billion, which drove net cash used in investing activities to a period high of $20.3 billion.
Financing and Capital Allocation: A consistent upward trend is observed in dividend payments, which grew from approximately $800 million per quarter in 2021 to nearly $1.1 billion per quarter by March 2026. Share repurchases were irregular, with a significant peak of $2.3 billion in March 2022, followed by more moderate activity. To fund the strategic acquisition in the first quarter of 2026, the company issued $19.86 billion in long-term debt, effectively offsetting the investing outflow and resulting in a net financing inflow of $17.3 billion for that period.
Liquidity and Net Cash Position: The net increase or decrease in cash and cash equivalents varied significantly per quarter. While the company maintained positive cash growth in several quarters, the massive capital reallocation in early 2026 led to a net decrease of $1.72 billion, despite the large-scale debt issuance, likely due to the timing of the acquisition payment and other operating outflows.

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Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)

Cash Flow Statement Quarterly Data

Cash Flow Statement
Quarterly Data